How to Design a Gallery Wall in Your Home

Are you accumulating a large pile of children’s artwork? Do you have an assortment of old family photos or letters? Have you acquired a collection of interesting maps, mirrors, or artwork? Creating a gallery wall is a great way to give these items visual impact and personalize any empty wall in your home.

Certain arrangements for a gallery wall may seem daunting to try on your own. For instance, an orderly, gridded layout may be quite intimidating. The fear of sacrificing a perfectly smooth wall to misplaced nail holes may prevent any attempt at creating this type of gallery wall. However, there are a couple other possibilities that could help build enough confidence to accomplish the task.

One alternative to the precise arrangement of straight rows is a grouping of random sized frames organized in a balanced composition. Simply lay the collection frames on the floor and play with the arrangement until all colors and shapes feel evenly distributed. Create a template to transfer the frames to the wall by tracing each frame onto newspaper, cutting them out, and taping them to the wall. Remember to measure the placement of the hanger on the back of the frames and mark the location on each template. The only thing left to do is to hammer in the nails at each mark, remove the templates, and hang the frames.

Another option is to use ledges and eliminate the need to have to measure for each frame. After the ledges are installed, simply prop the frames up, overlapping them, arranging and rearranging until it feels right.

If you still do not feel confident you will spare your walls from misplaced nail holes, there is another option. Several companies actually have a gallery wall kit available for purchase. These kits provide a set of frames with a hanging template and hanging hardware to make the task quite simple and quick to install.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to use your favorite collection to create a visual impact on that empty wall in your home! And as always, if you'd love an interior designer's perspective, don't hesitate to contact Amy Youngblood Interiors!